Agenda and minutes

Within the Forest Heath District Council (FHDC) and St Edmundsbury Borough Council (SEBC) Constitutions, the Terms of Reference for the West Suffolk Joint Growth Steering Group state that:

“2.     The Steering Group comprises 12 Members, six from each Council.  The Chairmanship and Vice-Chairmanship will rotate annually between the two Councils.

The Chairman for 2015/2016 was Councillor David Bowman (FHDC).  Therefore, the Chairman for 2016/2017 should be drawn from SEBC.

Within the Forest Heath District Council (FHDC) and St Edmundsbury Borough Council (SEBC) Constitutions, the Terms of Reference for the West Suffolk Joint Growth Steering Group state that:

“2.     The Steering Group comprises 12 Members, six from each Council.  The Chairmanship and Vice-Chairmanship will rotate annually between the two Council.”

Therefore, as the Chairman for 2015/2016 had been drawn from FHDC, the Chairman for 2016/2017 should be drawn from SEBC.

However, as the appointment of the Chairman for 2015/2016 had only taken place in January 2016, the Group proposed that the Chairman for 2016/2017 should continue to be drawn from FHDC.

With there being no other nominations, it was proposed and seconded

          RESOLVED:

That Councillor David Bowman (FHDC) be elected as Chairman for 2016/2017.

The Vice Chairman for 2015/2016 was Councillor Alaric Pugh (SEBC).  Therefore, the Chairman for 2016/2017 should be drawn from FHDC.

As set out in Minute No. 25 above, as the appointment of the Vice-Chairman for 2015/2016 had only taken place in January 2016, the Group proposed that the Vice-Chairman for 2016/2017 should continue to be drawn from SEBC.

With there being no other nominations, it was proposed, seconded and

          RESOLVED:

That Councillor Alaric Pugh (SEBC) be elected as Chairman for 2016/2017.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor David Palmer (FHDC).

Councillor Simon Cole (FHDC) attended the meeting as substitute for Councillor David Palmer.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 10 May 2016 (copy attached).

The minutes from the meeting held on 10 May 2016 were received and confirmed as a correct record.

This item will take the form of a 30 minute presentation, followed by questions from the Members of the Group.

Dave Watson, Transport Strategy Manager, Suffolk County Council will be in attendance for this item.

Dave Watson, Transport Strategy Manager, Suffolk County Council was in attendance to provide a presentation to the Group on transport and infrastructure improvements within Suffolk (and including West Suffolk), which covered the following specific areas:

·         Funding which was available for local improvement schemes.

·         Major local schemes (including in West Suffolk):

-      Committed Funding (Suffolk County Council projects)

Bury St Edmunds Eastern Relief Road

Bury St Edmunds sustainable transport scheme.

-      Developer Projects

Haverhill North Western Relief Road

Bury St Edmunds B1106 Relief Road (Fornham All Saints)

-      Feasibility Work

A1307 Improvements (Haverhill)

-      Developer Schemes

Westley Relief Road

A134 Relief Road

Brandon Relief Road

Great Barton

·         Work being undertaken on the Strategic Road Network, including proposed schemes for inclusion in the Second Route Investment Strategy set by the Department for Transport (DfT), which was due to be implemented from April 2020 to 2025 (including within West Suffolk):

Trunk Road Improvements

-   A14/A142 Junction 37, Exning

-   A14 Junctions, Bury St Edmunds

-   A11, Mildenhall

Feasibility Study

-   A14: M11 Cambridge to Felixstowe

·         An overview of the funding arrangements for the rail network, the key service and infrastructure improvements.

Members also asked questions of the Officer to which responses were duly provided.  

Members also stated that, although, the presentation had been useful with regards to providing an overview of the transport infrastructure taking place within the whole of Suffolk, Members would have liked more emphasis to have been placed on the infrastructure which was specifically being undertaken within West Suffolk.  Therefore, Members requested for a further presentation to be undertaken in six/nine months time, which specifically focussed on West Suffolk.

With the vote being unanimous, it was

          RESOLVED:

          That:-

1.           The presentation be noted.

2.           A further presentation to be received in six/nine months time, on highways infrastructure which specifically focussed on West Suffolk.

The Growth Officer informed the Group that the Business Festival would be taking place from 4 to 14 October 2016 and outlined the various events being held.  Further detailed information on these events were also available on the following website: http://www.businessfestival.org/.

To note the dates of future meetings as follows:

Tuesday 11 October 2016                  10.00 am              District Offices,

                                                                             Mildenhall

Tuesday 21 February 2017       10.00 am              West Suffolk House,

                                                                             Bury St Edmunds

Additional meetings of the Steering Group can also be arranged as and when required.

It was noted that future meetings of the Steering Group would be held as follows:

          Tuesday 11 October 2016                  10.00 am     District Offices,

                                                                             Mildenhall

          Tuesday 21 February 2017       10.00 am     West Suffolk House,

                                                                             Bury St Edmunds

Additional meetings of the Steering Group could also be arranged as and when required.